The Hawker 731's twin Garrett TFE-731 engines thundered, powering the plane skyward with gut-wrenching force. Outside the window, Le Bourget Airfield dropped away with startling speed.

　　I'm fleeing the country, Sophie thought, her body forced back into the leather seat. Until thismoment, she had believed her game of cat and mouse with Fache would be somehow justifiable tothe Ministry of Defense. I was attempting to protect an innocent man. I was trying to fulfill mygrandfather's dying wishes. That window of opportunity, Sophie knew, had just closed. She wasleaving the country, without documentation, accompanying a wanted man, and transporting abound hostage. If a "line of reason" had ever existed, she had just crossed it. At almost the speed ofsound.

　　Sophie was seated with Langdon and Teabing near the front of the cabin—the Fan Jet ExecutiveElite Design, according to the gold medallion on the door. Their plush swivel chairs were bolted totracks on the floor and could be repositioned and locked around a rectangular hardwood table. Amini-boardroom. The dignified surroundings, however, did little to camouflage the less thandignified state of affairs in the rear of the plane where, in a separate seating area near the rest room,Teabing's manservant Rémy sat with the pistol in hand, begrudgingly carrying out Teabing's ordersto stand guard over the bloody monk who lay trussed at his feet like a piece of luggage.

　　"Before we turn our attention to the keystone," Teabing said, "I was wondering if you would permitme a few words." He sounded apprehensive, like a father about to give the birds-and-the-beeslecture to his children. "My friends, I realize I am but a guest on this journey, and I am honored assuch. And yet, as someone who has spent his life in search of the Grail, I feel it is my duty to warnyou that you are about to step onto a path from which there is no return, regardless of the dangersinvolved." He turned to Sophie. "Miss Neveu, your grandfather gave you this cryptex in hopes youwould keep the secret of the Holy Grail alive.""Yes.""Understandably, you feel obliged to follow the trail wherever it leads."Sophie nodded, although she felt a second motivation still burning within her. The truth about myfamily. Despite Langdon's assurances that the keystone had nothing to do with her past, Sophie stillsensed something deeply personal entwined within this mystery, as if this cryptex, forged by hergrandfather's own hands, were trying to speak to her and offer some kind of resolution to theemptiness that had haunted her all these years.

　　"Your grandfather and three others died tonight," Teabing continued, "and they did so to keep thiskeystone away from the Church. Opus Dei came within inches tonight of possessing it. Youunderstand, I hope, that this puts you in a position of exceptional responsibility. You have beenhanded a torch. A two-thousand-year-old flame that cannot be allowed to go out. This torch cannotfall into the wrong hands." He paused, glancing at the rosewood box. "I realize you have beengiven no choice in this matter, Miss Neveu, but considering what is at stake here, you must eitherfully embrace this responsibility... or you must pas............